Kenji
Background Information Kenji is a fourteen year old therianthrope living on his island home with his identical twin brother, Benji. He was born in a research and animal testing facility as an experiment to test if lycanthrope and vampire blood could create an offspring. However, after many failed attempts at the project, scientists added the DNA of various animal species, including that of a human, to finally successfully breed two therianthrope offspring- Kenji and Benji. The therianthrope had originally been designed to be the "ultimate weapon", with the blood of both lycanthrope and vampire, a single bite from the creature would be deadly. Kenji was the first born out of the twins- only by a few minutes. At the moment of his birth, he was swiftly examined and given a few shots to protect him from various diseases other species may have contracted at the lab. He was also tagged- a procedure where a sort of needle pierces the ear so that a tag with a numbered identification can be placed through the hole (much like livestock are tagged). Kenji thought nothing of the treatments he had been receiving when he was a pup, most seeming to be nothing more than simple medical examinations. However, as he grew older, he began to discover things differently. When Kenji was only a few months old, the scientists (which Kenji refferred to as "white coats"), furthered their research and testing on the young therianthrope. Kenji was put through atrocious measures of studying: various injections, electrocution, drowning rate testing (similar to the torture tactic of water boarding), sleep deprivation, etc. Although the tactics were cruel and brutal, Kenji (due to his young age) still kept a trust of the humans. It was finally after the agonizing removal of all four of his fangs that he began to feel hatred towards mankind. The extraction was believed to be a necessary process, although the cutting out of and full removal of the fangs with no pain relief or initial numbing was excruciating. However, since one bite was said to be deadly due to the therian's "poison" of both lycan and vampire blood, therefore, it was a procedure that was found to be important. Kenji never fully minded the pain that he was dealt, the hatred blossomed more-so when he witnessed his brother being tortured, however. It was especially after the operation on Benji's head that Kenji lost most of his patience towards mankind- for it was a procedure that was anything than necessary, and the most painful of all experiments performed. The operation took place only a few nights before a destructive fire which swept across the lab. Neither of the brothers knew that the fire had been intentional- its purpose being to burn the lab to the ground along with all the records of the species that had been tested on and created inside- especially Kenji and his brother. Nevertheless, it was only the two brothers who made it out of the burning facility alive. Once they were free, Kenji and his brother searched their island home- never having seen grass or trees or the sky before. Their first encounter in the skies above was the sunset, something which gave them hope as they began their journey on without living a life behind bars. Shortly after they escaped, they heard the sound of singing coming from somewhere nearby on the island, thus leading them to a lagoon. It was there that they first met the sirens- Chaylse in particular. She removed their tags and healed as many of their wounds as she could, ultimately entrusting them each with a half of a golden scarab charm. The boys wore the charm after being informed that once around the neck, it could allow humanity to whomever possessed it. Since Kenji only wore half of the scarab, he would be able to keep human form for as long as he wanted, yet was still given leeway and was able to shift if he needed to. It was at this point that he learned he was able to change his form, as well. Only about a month after being free from humanity on the island, Kenji and his brother soon noticed that humans had reappeared- this time, it being a female-- Sitara. Curious to learn more about the new stranger, Kenji took the form of a ferret, which he ended up stealing Sitara's amulet, and putting her on a chase across his island home. He wanted her to learn of the island to the best of her abilities, without being given all of its secrets, however. Yet, as time passed, Kenji understood that he had done wrong, and ultimately returned her amulet to her, since he understood its importance to her. Kenji, as well as his brother, speaks in a slurred, lispy language, due to the lack of any real education in his life. Even though he had grown up hearing humans, he had never spoken their language before, thus resulting in his chopped and slurred speech. However, even though he has a few speech impediments, he can still be understood by the others. In fact, most of them consider it cute. Even though the newcomers on the island have shown Kenji compassion, part of him still does not trust mankind. He fears man, and holds a grudge against them. Yet, when it comes to females, Kenji is a bit more trusting. He never witnessed a female human before, thus, he ponders if they will treat him in the same manner as the others had. However, Kenji soon must realize that all humans aren't cruel, and that the others on the island truly do care about him. Personality Kenji possesses a somewhat negative attitude- especially towards the humans. He shows little trust and is often quite rude and ignorant of them. Kenji is also loud and obnoxious at times, always wanting things to go his way. He enjoys pulling pranks on people- or at least causing them distress in whatever way he possibly can. Kenji is mischievous and spunky, and somewhat wild. Nevertheless, Kenji has a heart of gold when it comes to his friends. Kenji is caring and quite sympathetic of others, since he knows what it's like to go through hardships in life. He is loving towards his brother, and even though he doesn't like to admit it, underneath it all, he really is a good kid. He only needs to learn to trust his friends more, so that one day, they truly will be thought of as friends- or perhaps even a family. Relationships Relationship-wise, Kenji's closest would be to his identical twin brother, Benji. Since the two had been birthed and raised together, there has never been a time that either of them have been apart from one another. Although Kenji deeply loves Benji, there are times that he gets fed up with him. Kenji likes to think that he is the dominant of the two brothers- just because he was born first. Also, since he is more outgoing than Benji, Kenji feels the need to make himself more of the leader. Plus, with being a leader, he feels that he will be able to care for Benji far more. Even if he doesn't like to admit it, Kenji loves Benji, and would do anything he possibly could to look out for him. He fears that things will happen to his brother, due to his shyness and way of trusting people more than Kenji does. Therefore, it makes the elder of the twins fearful of what may someday happen to his brother. There have been times, however, where Kenji had acted upon violence and lashed out at Benji... but many of those times have passed, and are greatly regretted. Even though he sometimes is rough with Benji, he still loves him, and would do anything to look out for him and keep him safe. Although he will deny it time and time again, Kenji has developed a crush on Hana-Lynn. Both are mischievous, which gives an edge to their relationship. They go together like two peas in a pod, even if they don't want to admit it. Kenji is uncertain of his feelings towards Hana-Lynn at first, however, especially since she is human. He fears that she will one day turn her back on him and do the same as the others once did- even after showing him affection. Nevertheless, his feelings keep him bound with her, and after a while, he begins to understand that perhaps not all humans are heartless, and that maybe he can learn to trust mankind again. Kenji also has somewhat of a relationship with Desiderio Silverthorne. Desiderio looks after Kenji as a sort of father figure, since he grew up without a mother or father. Kenji resembles Desiderio in many ways, which makes the captain feel closer to him. In his opinion, Kenji is like a younger version of himself- identical to how he was at Kenji's age. Even though Desiderio shows deep compassion for Kenji, there is still heavy levels of distrust. Kenji fears Desiderio (or at least likes to think he does) due to the fact that he is a male...and a human. Other reasons as to why may include Desiderio's slight resemblance to Vladimir Drake (the one who issued for the twins to be birthed) and the fact that he wears a white button down shirt (like the white lab coats of the scientists). However, no matter what he says, Kenji loves Desiderio immensely, and is proud to at least say that he is, indeed, a father to him. Appearances Kenji primarily appears in the Of Sins and Sailors series, books 1-5; however he does also show in the holiday special Merry Christmas, Kenji and Benji, where he has quite a large role. Kenji also makes a small appearance in the short collection The Tales Untold: Volume 1, as well as the novel Beast and Man- the background story of both Kenji and his brother, Benji. His most significant parts in any story would be in the novel, Beast and Man. Quotes *“Nothin’ worse than an angry lycan at the height a’ the full moon.” *“We’re twins, you dunce." *"They’re humans, Benji. An’ humans are all the same no matter how compassionate they appear t’be t’you." *"You know humans. There ain't nothin' humane 'bout 'em." *“Been chased a few times in our lives. Once with prods, once by hounds, a few times by just people, an’ most recent by guns.” *"They're not sandcastles... they're sand fortresses." *“Some things are better left unsaid an’ unseen." *“I took a nap, I ate somethin’ you had down on the lower deck… I gave Benji a hammer t’finish what he was doing, an’ then I went back t’sleep for another nap. That’s ‘bout it.” *“That’s the thing about werewolves an’ vampires. They’re meant t’be beautiful, they need t’seduce humans into being with them. There’s a reason he looks the way he does. His silky fair hair, luscious caramel eyes, tall an’ well-built body, an’ porcelain skin without blemishes… he’s the complete model for a werewolf, Sitara.” *"Dun underestimate my senses.” *“Your indubitably gorgeous granddaughter.”